Theocracy is an American
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
progressive
Progressive may refer to:
Politics
* Progressivism, a political philosophy in support of social reform
** Progressivism in the United States, the political philosophy in the American context
* Progressive realism, an American foreign policy par ...
power metal
Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in contra ...
band founded in 2002 by Matt Smith of
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
. They have released four albums and multiple Christmas singles.
Background
The group started as a one-man project with all the instruments and vocals on the debut album ''Theocracy'' performed by Smith. Musically, the band mixes the
power metal
Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in contra ...
style of
Edguy
Edguy is a heavy metal band formed in Fulda, Germany in 1992.
History Demos, AFM years (1992–2003)
Edguy was founded in 1992 by 14-year-old students Tobias Sammet, Jens Ludwig, Dominik Storch and Dirk Sauer. The name "Edguy" was an affecti ...
,
Iced Earth
Iced Earth is an American heavy metal band formed in Tampa, Florida and currently based in Columbus, Indiana. They were formed in 1984 under the name the Rose, then Purgatory, by guitarist and main songwriter Jon Schaffer and original drummer ...
, and
Helloween
Helloween is a German power metal band founded in 1984 in Hamburg by members of bands Iron Fist, Gentry, Second Hell and Powerfool. Its first lineup consisted of singer and guitarist Kai Hansen, bassist Markus Grosskopf, guitarist Michael Weik ...
with progressive influences from bands such as
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of the ...
,
Symphony X
Symphony X is an American progressive metal band from Middletown, New Jersey. Founded in 1994, the band consists of guitarist Michael Romeo, keyboardist Michael Pinnella, drummer Jason Rullo, lead vocalist Russell Allen and bassist Michael Lep ...
,
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
and
Rush
Rush(es) may refer to:
Places
United States
* Rush, Colorado
* Rush, Kentucky
* Rush, New York
* Rush City, Minnesota
* Rush Creek (Kishwaukee River tributary), Illinois
* Rush Creek (Marin County, California), a stream
* Rush Creek (Mono Cou ...
.
The group performed at the
ProgPower USA VII festival Pre-Party in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
, Georgia. Live performances from the show of the songs "The Serpent's Kiss" and "Mountain" were included on the ProgPower VII DVD.
The band's self-titled album was released on January 1, 2003 by MetalAges Records. All instruments were played by Matt Smith. The album had been out of print for several years, and fans have asked for a re-issue. In order to improve upon the drum machine and amateur production of the original release without losing the charm of the recordings, Theocracy drummer Shawn Benson recorded drums on all tracks, while nothing else was re-recorded. Smith completely re-mixed the album, with the mastering handled by Mika Jussila, and on November 19, 2013, Ulterium Records re-released it.
Their second album, ''
Mirror of Souls
''Mirror of Souls'' is the second album by Christian progressive/power metal band Theocracy. It was released by Ulterium Records on November 21, 2008 in Europe, November 26 in Japan, and December 9 in North America. It is Theocracy's first album a ...
'', was Theocracy's first album as a full band. It was released on November 21, 2008 through Sweden's Ulterium Records and on November 26, 2008 in Japan by Soundholic Records. The Japanese version contains the bonus track "Wages of Sin." The North American edition was released December 9, 2008. A picture disc LP was released through the record label's web store containing "Mirror of Souls," "Laying the Demon to Rest," "Absolution Day," and "The Wages of Sin." This LP was limited to 250 copies worldwide.
''As the World Bleeds'', was released on November 21, 2011 in North America and on November 25, 2011 in Europe. After releasing their new album, Theocracy released their first official music video from the new album, entitled "Hide in the Fairytale" on September 5, 2012.
The band embarked on a European tour to promote the remastered re-release of the self-titled album in November 2013. The tour consisted of smaller venue shows as well as larger festivals including Brainstorm Festival in The Netherlands, Blast of Eternity, and Rock Without Limits in Germany, and ''
Maata Näkyvissä Festival
Maata Näkyvissä Festival (''Land Ahoy'') is the biggest Christian music event in the Nordic countries. It takes place in Turku, Finland, the venue being HK Arena (previously known as Turkuhalli) and the Turku Fair Centre. The organizers of th ...
'' in Finland. Joshua Street filled in for drummer Shawn Benson for this tour.
On October 28, 2016, they released their fourth studio album, ''Ghost Ship'', through Ulterium Records. It includes their second official music video for the album's title track filmed in Atlanta, along with lyric videos for "Wishing Well" and "Easter".
Band members
Current members
*Matt Smith – lead vocals
(2002–present), keyboards
(2002–2008), lead guitar, bass
(2002–2009)
*Jonathan Hinds – rhythm guitar, backing vocals, keyboards
(2006–present)
*Jared Oldham – bass, backing vocals
(2009–present)
*Ernie Topran – drums
(2016–present)
Former members
*Seth Filkins – bass, backing vocals
*Josh Sloan – bass, backing vocals
*Patrick Parris – bass, backing vocals
*Shawn Benson – drums
(2005–2014)
*Patrick Nickell – drums
(2014–2015)
*Val Allen Wood – lead guitar, backing vocals
(2009–2020)
Timeline
Discography
* ''Theocracy'' (2003)
* ''
Mirror of Souls
''Mirror of Souls'' is the second album by Christian progressive/power metal band Theocracy. It was released by Ulterium Records on November 21, 2008 in Europe, November 26 in Japan, and December 9 in North America. It is Theocracy's first album a ...
'' (2008)
* ''As the World Bleeds'' (2011)
* ''Ghost Ship'' (2016)
Christmas
Starting in 2003, the band has recorded and released one Christmas-themed song for free download to all members of their "Club of Souls" fan group per year, located on their official website, excluding 2013 and 2015. In 2013, Matt Smith instead dedicated his efforts to the ''Collide & Spark'' charity special, released as ''Project Aegis''. In 2015, Theocracy instead were working on a new album, therefore did not have any time to record a new Christmas song.
:*2003-2006 (released in 2011): "Christmas Medley"
:*2004: "Little Drummer Boy"
:*2005: "Deck the Joy (To the Halls)"
:*2006: "Christmas Medley" (2006 Remix)
:*2007: "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"
:*2008: "Rudolph vs. Frosty"
:*2009: "Angels from the Realms of Glory"
:*2010: "All I Want for Christmas"
:*2011: "Christmas Medley" (2011 Remix)
:*2012: "Wynter Fever"
:*2014: "Night of Silence"
:*2019: "Snowglobe"
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Theocracy
American Christian metal musical groups
Heavy metal musical groups from Georgia (U.S. state)
Musical groups established in 2002
American power metal musical groups
American progressive metal musical groups
2002 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)